


Believe in Me and I Won't Let You Down

by Skyeec2



Series: Strifesodos Week 2017 [1]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Angst, I Tried, M/M, OTP WEEK, Song Lyric Titles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-11-15 09:58:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11228622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyeec2/pseuds/Skyeec2
Summary: Day One of Strifesodos Week 2017. The prompt I chose to use was Reading.





	Believe in Me and I Won't Let You Down

**Author's Note:**

> OTP WEEK!! Yay!  
> I’m going to name all of these with song lyrics because I’m bad a titles.  
> I’m happy with how this one turned out. I like it, it’s fine.  
> Also, this are all kinda loose with the prompts but I hope that’s ok.

Genesis was terrified, well and truly terrified about what was happening to him.

He and Cloud had been asked by Shinra to help deal with some rogue monsters terrorizing the outskirts of Icicle Inn. They had originally been planning to ignore Shinra’s request as they usually did but then Cloud’s bleeding heart got in the way and they ended up on a plane to the Northern Continent.

Shinra assured them that they were going to be dealing with Vlakorados, nothing too difficult for two ex-Soldiers. He hadn’t told them anything about the dragon that showed up when the monster’s numbers were thinning.

They hadn’t been been expecting it at all so they were unprepared to deal with it’s attack. They did the best they could to weather the beast’s attention, considering there was only the two of them and most people tended to fight dragons in groups of five or more.

Unfortunately, that couldn’t last. He had ordered Cloud to call for backup while he, the far superior Materia-user, held up the strongest shield he could manage between them and the dragon; it was the best course of action they could take at the time.

But the beast hadn’t relented.

His shield was starting to falter.

It was reaching it’s limit.

He wasn’t going to let the beast take them both down though. Not while he still had breath in his lungs.

He moved faster than the human eye could track, tapping into abilities he hadn’t used since he had last fought Sephiroth.

One hand planted itself in Cloud’s collar and grasped the material tightly.

He used all the strength he could muster to throw his partner away from him.

He heard Cloud’s shout of denial as the shield broke.

The world around him was drench in heat, light and _agony_.

The next thing he was aware of was pain filling his body and heat trapped under his skin. He could dimly hear Cloud somewhere nearby though he could neither make out where he was or what he was saying.

It hurt to breathe, the air in his lungs felt rough and boiling, burning his throat as he tried to take in the breaths he needed to fill his starved lungs. His chest felt far too tight as he fought to draw air into his lungs.

He tried to remain conscious but the effort proved in vain as he was dragged into unconsciousness by the agony running through his nerves.

He woke an undetermined amount of time later, unable to move or open his eyes. He heard the sound of machines nearby and he panicked, fear gripping his chest as his mind immediately turned to the worse-case scenario.

He… He wasn’t back in DeepGround. He wasn’t about to be cut open to figure out how he worked. Cloud wouldn’t allow it. Cloud wouldn’t let that happen to him. He knew it. He knew it…

Cloud wouldn’t…

He was unaware of the tears running down his face or of the noises tearing themselves from his throat, only aware of the thoughts in his head driving him further into panic.

There was a cacophony of voices surrounding him but they were unable to cut through the haze of his panic, the machine sounds unsteady sounds were too loud in his ears, only accentuating the fear he felt.

Then a dear, familiar voice broke through the chaos, calling out his name in a calm, clear tone. Somewhere close by but he couldn’t open his eyes to find out where.

He tried to calm himself, assisted by Cloud’s words. Cloud had told him that everything was going to be alright, that he was safe. Cloud wouldn’t lie to him.

But why _couldn’t he see anything?!_

His question was soon answered.

He heard Cloud talk to the unknown voices for a few moments before the sound of retreating footsteps reached his ears, the sound of a door closing told him that he was most likely alone with Cloud. He tried to move his head in the direction of Cloud’s breathing, managing it with a bit of effort.

He waited silently, waiting for Cloud to start telling him what had happened. Cloud’s voice was wrong as he spoke, blank and empty. “I managed to take out the dragon,” Cloud started, tone reminiscent of the one Genesis had heard from troopers before his Degradation, “but not before you were hit.” Cloud paused for a long moment before continuing, “3rd degree burns to your arms and eyes. They don’t think they’ll heal.”

Genesis felt his heart stop at Cloud’s words, there was no way that could be true.

* * *

The doctors, he was in a hospital of course there were doctors, came in after a few moments, repeating what Cloud had told him in more specific words.

Everything above his abdomen was covered in burns of varying degrees, the worse centralized on his forearms and face. They said that the less serious burns would be able to heal on their own but the more serious would require serious attention as they were unaware of how much his own enhanced healing would fix on its own.

They had lost all the data on SOLDIER, including whatever they had on their healing capabilities, meaning things would be touch and go for some time. They were adamantly uncertain about whether or not his eyes would heal, they didn’t want to give him any false hope so early.

They had done what they felt safe to do and would be closely monitoring him until they had a clear idea of how to handle his injuries. They were hoping that he’d heal the nerve and muscle damage on his own without further intervention on their part but it would be weeks before they knew for certain whether he would or not.

Cloud remained silent to the side of his bed, listening to words he had already heard the doctors say. Genesis was incredibly glad that he had listed as his next-of-kin not too long ago, he didn’t want to think about how he would have dealt with all of this if he was alone.

As it was, he could barely believe what the doctor was telling him. The thought that his eyes would never work again petrified him, all that he was _depended_ on the use of his yes. He didn’t know how he would manage if he could no longer use them.

He managed to keep his distress to himself until the doctors once again left and only he and Cloud remained in his room. Only then did he let himself break.

Harsh sobs left his wetted throat, feeling exposed as he released all the sorrow and despair filling his chest. He heard Cloud move next to him but he had no idea what the other was doing, the doctors had discouraged contact for the moment and he couldn’t _see what Cloud was doing_.

“Genesis,” Cloud called from next to him, probably standing as close as he dared. “I’m here, you’re here, we’ll figure this out.” Cloud sounded so sure of himself and what he was saying but Genesis just couldn’t bring himself to believe his partner.

Not at this point in time.

* * *

The next few weeks were difficult for them; Genesis’ body did indeed start to heal the muscle and nerve damage, though much slower than Genesis had been hoping for. His eyes though, weren’t healing and remained useless as time passed.

The doctors were pleased with what his body was healing though; slowly, agonizingly slow, his nerves started to work once again, flooding his system with persistent, sharp pain. It made him particularly irritable, especially after the doctors asked him to try moving his fingers.

The return of feeling in his arms made dressing changes particularly challenging. He wasn’t pleasant to be around on those days.

Cloud was always with him though, staying long past when they allowed him until one of their friends came to drag him home. Cloud was doing the best he could, all things considering, and Genesis was glad to have the other man there with him.

Until he blew up at the other and forced Cloud to leave.

It had been an awful day for him; his fingers felt tight and his bones _ached_ , his nerves were continuously assaulting him with sharp stabs of pain and he had lost his patience with everything. There was no other way to explain it, he had _attacked_ Cloud with cruel, harsh words.

He had _mocked_ Cloud and _accused_ him of such awful things, all because the other chose to remain _optimistic_ and hadn’t appeared affected by _anything_ going on. The room was silent for several long, drawn-out minutes after he finished speaking.

And then, Cloud left.

He hadn’t expected Cloud to just leave him like that. His partner had been here with him since he had awoken weeks earlier, _always_.

His chest felt tighter the more time passed and Cloud didn’t walk back in, tears prickling behind his ruined eyes. His chest heaved, a harsh, pained noise leaving his throat and echoing through the empty room.

He curled into himself as sobs wracked his frame, he was alone here in this empty room and it was entirely his fault.

Why?

Why did he say those things to Cloud?!

Why did he force his partner away?!

He slumped back into his bed after tiring himself out, drifting off into an exhausted unconsciousness.

* * *

He woke some time later expecting to be greeted by an empty room or perhaps someone coming to check on him, he didn’t expect there to be breathing from next to his bed.

He turned his head in the direction of the breathing, brow furrowing under his bandages as he tried to figure out who was there. He was saved from guessing by soft words, “hey, you need anything?”

Cloud… why had he come back?

He found himself stunned; shocked that Cloud had returned at all, let alone didn’t sound angry at him. No, Cloud didn’t sound angry at all, in fact he sounded… like he’d been crying. He’d made Cloud cry?

His heart clenched in his chest. He didn’t deserve to have Cloud here.

He swiped his tongue over dry lips, “you’re here?” He rasped out in Cloud’s general direction. He was rewarded not with any words from his partner but with the sound of something, most likely a glass, being lifted from the table to the right of him, a straw at his lips confirmed that the item in question had indeed been a glass.

He took a deep drag from the glass, soothing the ache in his throat. Cloud moved the glass away once he had finished drinking, placing the glass back on the table and clearing his throat awkwardly before speaking. “Yeah, I got back a few minutes ago.”

“I’m sorry,” Genesis apologized after a few moments of silence, “I shouldn’t have said those things to you.”

“No, you shouldn’t have,” Cloud agreed blandly, “but it was understandable.”

Genesis shook his head with a sharp, “no, it’s not.”

“Yes,” Cloud forced, stopping Genesis’ words. “Everything’s been awful for you since the attack and I can’t do anything to help you at all.” Cloud’s voice was getting thicker and heavier as he continued to speak, breaking Genesis’ heart as he listened to the other. “I’ve been trying to be strong for you because that’s all I can do.”

Genesis wanted to deny that but Cloud continued speaking before he could get the words from his throat. “I can’t do anything to help you and all of this is _my fault_.”

Genesis forced his voice to work, unwilling to let Cloud believe that without saying something. “This is not _your_ fault!” He exclaimed, “you didn’t know that dragon would show up! _Neither of us did_! _Shinra_ didn’t inform us of it so _we didn’t know_ to prepare for it, you are not at fault Cloud!”

The room was silent after his words, Cloud neither confirming nor denying his words. He was beginning to think that they’d spend the rest of the day in silence until someone came to force Cloud away, but Cloud proved him wrong.

“I…” Cloud started, “I brought the book you were reading back with me.” Cloud trailed off awkwardly, shifting audibly in his seat. “I can read it for you, if you want.”

Genesis felt affection for the other flood his chest, he couldn’t believe Cloud was willing to give him his literature back. “That’d be wonderful Cloud.”

He heard Cloud shift closer to him and the rustle of pages informed him that Cloud was flicking to where he had left his bookmark. He relaxed back into the bed as much as he could, ignoring the pain of his nerves and focusing solely on Cloud’s voice as the other began to read.


End file.
